answer:Welcome to ask-public, and congratulations on your selection to your school’s spelling bee competition. (As a sixth-grade champion of my own school in the 1964–65 school year I understand how you feel … and I still recall the word that I went out on in a later competition with another school’s team.) I have also been laughed at on any number of occasions. Take it from me, the feeling of losing the spelling bee competition – one time! – has lasted far longer than any embarrassment at being laughed at. And the “laughing at” has happened many times. That will probably also happen to you so many times over the rest of your life that feelings of anxiety over its re-occurrence will soon pale into insignificance. (If you’ve not been laughed at before now, then where have you been hiding?) So try to relax about that; being laughed at isn’t so terrifying once you’ve experienced it a few times. What I can also tell you is that if you don’t try, don’t give it your best shot and don’t compete as hard and intensely as you can you may regret that for the rest of a very long life. I can’t reasonably tell you “don’t be nervous”, and I don’t expect you to simply take my word for it that “there’s no reason to be terrified” and have that be the end of those feelings. But I can suggest to you that you “be brave”, and that’s a thing that I’m sure you can do. You know what bravery is, right? Bravery is being afraid and still doing what you know you have to do, and what you can do in spite of those feelings. You have no idea how good you can feel about yourself – and for good reason, too! – until you have faced your fear, put it aside just enough, and do what you need to do regardless. When you win, I’ll show you my trophy if you’ll show me yours. (Of course I still have it!)